yuca

credit for the yuca actually goes to jason, who purchased it after i changed my mind. but i helped! and we learned someting useful, so the post goes on.
yuca is the root of the cassava plant. when puchased, it's dark brown and heavily waxed, looking very much like a salami (thanks to aly for the analogy). you have to peel it; due to the wax, a knife would probably work better than a vegetable peeler. the inside is very firm, like a carrot or sweet potato, and creamy white. there's a string that runs down the middle that you have to remove. we halved them horizontally, then quartered them lengthwise and cut at an angle down the center, like coring an apple. that worked great.
then we boiled them for half an hour and fried them until crispy. except for the blackened its of garlic we added too early, they tasted like restaurant yuca. so good. if you like potatoes, you'll probably like this. the flavor is mild and starchy, with a hearty, almost chewy texture and crunchy crust.